National League South
Longmead Stadium, Tonbridge
Admission: £15.00
Programme: £3.00
Attendance: 1,669
After last year's blank on Boxing Day, and the subsequent three months, due to Covid lockdown, I was very much looking forward to taking in a double this year, starting with this appealing local derby, between clubs where there is little love lost, certainly from the Tonbridge side. Post Christmas matches were looking under serious threat amidst soaring cases of the Omicron variant of Covid, and with the expectation that England would follow suit with Wales, Scotland and other countries in heavily, or completely, restricting attendance at sporting fixtures, and in any case, many games at all levels were being postponed due to Covid cases amongst clubs. Happily, Boris Johnson confirmed a few days prior to Christmas that any restrictions would not be announced until after Christmas, let alone implemented, and with no sign of any Covid issues seriously affecting either Tonbridge or Maidstone, I went ahead and booked my ticket for this game on Christmas Eve (with this being an all-ticket fixture) and looked forward to revisiting a ground that I frequented many times when I lived in the area.
After last season was rather chaotically abandoned, Tonbridge are struggling at the wrong end of the table this season, down in 18th place in the 21 club division, following three wins and five draws from 16 league games played so far, and have not won since late October, since when they have picked up just three points from their last ten league games. Perhaps fortunately for them, only one club will get relegated this season, and they currently have a six point buffer to bottom placed Billericay. But they did impressively beat National League outfit Torquay United 2-1 at home in the FA Trophy last Saturday. But today would be a tough game tomget anything out of, with Maidstone in fifth place in the table, following eight wins and four draws from their 16 league games. Their form has been curious this season though. They have won their last three league games, following a winless run of six games picking up just two points, and before that, were unbeaten in their opening seven league games, winning five.
On a very overcast early afternoon with frequent drizzle showers passing through, this game certainly caught the imagination of the fans, with a bumper crowd ensuring that there was barely a space to be had behind the pitchside railing in the home areas at least - indeed, in places the standing was two or three rows deep - although still Maidstone brought a very respectable following. Tonbridge had the first chance of the match, in the second minute, when Joe Turner went through on goal, only to bend his shot just wide of the far post. That proved something of a false dawn though, as they struggled to create chances thereafter in the first half and their deliveries from set pieces was mostly rather woeful. Gradually, the visitors exerted some control on proceedings, and on 16 minutes, they opened the scoring when some quick, incisive passing around the box ended with the ball at Michael Phillips' feet, who took his time before placing the ball into the top corner, before gesticulating to the loud Tonbridge fans behind the goal. Maidstone controlled most of the remainder of the half, and a few strong challenges did threaten the game boiling over, which it never quite did, and by the time the half time whistle blew, Maidstone were much more comfortable than the one goal lead suggested.
Shooting towards their own fans in the second half, Tonbridge were much improved after the break, and came oh so close within a minute of the restart, when Adam Coombes ran clear and through on goal, but his rather weak shot was blocked by the keeper's legs. The Angels tried to get forward much more, with most of the half played in the Maidstone half, but still far too often the final ball was lacking, with Maidstone looking comfortable defending what they had. Although Tonbridge did manage to get a few shots on goal as the game approached it's conclusion, they were either blocked or comfortably saved, and Maidstone saw the game out to claim the derby bragging rights, and consolidate their fourth place in the table, while Tonbridge dropped a place to 19th, although bottom side Billericay also lost, maintaining the six point cushion to the sole relegation spot.
Video highlights of this match can be viewed by clicking here
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